November 4
Central Assembly, Capitol, Lithianburg
The Capitol, located next to the Imperial Palace, is where a total of 541 members of the hereditary nobility and imperial family who reside in the capital gather to deliberate and enact the Central Assembly, which deliberates on and enacts "territorial laws" that are promulgated mainly in the Imperial Domain, or "national laws" that have effect throughout the country.
This time, however, they are not gathered to deliberate on legislation. Currently, a member of the Imperial Guard stood on the witness stand. He had been asked to testify as to what happened at midnight between October 31 and November 1, the day all the members of the emperor's family died. They were asked questions about what happened, whether they allowed anyone in, and whether they noticed anything unusual. When the time for the Guardsman's answer was over, another Guardsman stood on the witness stand and was asked the same questions and gave the same answers. In this way, the Central Assembly held testimony against each Imperial Guard for four consecutive days.
"........."
There was a man watching the assembly with dubious eyes. He sighed and looked with contempt at the legislators who were doing nothing but repeating the same thing over and over again.
"...How stale."
He, Duke Philose Hoelzerer, one of the members of the Central Assembly, muttered with a vertical crease between his eyebrows.
On the day of the death of the emperor's family, the emergency session of the assembly was initially confused, but gradually they came to a common understanding. Perhaps this was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Since his accession to the throne, the late emperor had repeatedly said and done things that had soured relations with the Holy Rovance Papal State, and he had been a thorn in the side of many of the legislators. However, four days ago at midnight, an incident occurred in the Imperial Palace in which a group of members of the imperial family died strange deaths. As a result, Emperor Fasta and his children, who inherited his ideology, all died, but the family of the prince, who has been loyal to the Pope, survived.
If the prince continued in his position as emperor, the Pope will welcome the birth of an emperor who is a devout Irulan follower. This would improve relations with the Holy Rovance Papal State, which had been strained because of the former emperor's words and actions. So they thought. However, not all of the 541 legislators were of the same opinion. There were a few who were sympathetic to the late emperor's plan to sever relations with Holy Rovance. These were the "Reformists" such as Philose.
"...If things continue as they are, the day of the coronation will arrive without the Assembly having touched the heart of the matter," Lothar Zuppenwilg, another member of the Reformist faction, who sat next to Philose, whispered to him. Philose remained as bitter as ever.
The accession of Alphon, the emperor's younger brother, is desirable in the eyes of many legislators and other nobles and royalty, but not so in the eyes of the commoners. Alphon, who was in the same house on the night of the incident but somehow survived, is a figure of suspicion in the eyes of the city and the 18 heads. Therefore, although this assembly is pretending to investigate the truth of the incident, its purpose is merely to look for any good reason to explain the survival of the prince's family among the Imperial Guard's answers.
Alphon, the man in question and the temporary representative of the government, has yet to appear before the assembly and cannot be put on the witness stand. The imperial court is said to be conducting an autopsy of the late emperor and his family, but no announcement has been made regarding this. Meanwhile, the coronation ceremony was scheduled for tomorrow.
"Will we have to look up to the Emperor as the monarch of this country?"
Once again, another Guardsman stood on the platform. The assembly was still asking and answering meaningless questions, and Philose was worried about the future of the country.
That evening, the assembly ended as usual. Finally, tomorrow, the funeral of the late emperor and the coronation of the new emperor will be held in the capital of the world's largest empire, which attracts the attention of countries around the world, including Japan. Nobles who do not reside in the capital also arrived here and there to prepare for the ceremonies. The 18 heads who could not attend due to the distance were also moving noisily in various places for tomorrow's events.
. . .
Same day, evening
Room 203, Lithianburg Red Cross Hospital 2nd Floor
A doctor was visiting a certain hospital room. When Ravenna, who was in the room with nurse Konami and the patient, noticed that the doctor had entered the room, she bowed to him.
"How is Her Highness at the moment?" Director Nagaoka asked about the condition of Theopha Rae Anglem, the only in-patient at the hospital at the moment.
"She is currently showing no signs of immune reconstitution syndrome (IRIS) due to pneumocystis pneumonia, although her white blood cell count has been rising since the start of treatment," Nurse Josuke Konami explained her condition.
"I see..."
Nagaoka nodded at Konami's report. He approached the princess lying on the sickbed.
"How are you feeling? Do you feel any discomfort around your stomach?" He asked the princess if there are any side effects.
"...No, it's no problem. Thank you very much," Theopha answered the director's question with a smile. However, she has mixed feelings in her heart.
Tomorrow is the day of the funeral and coronation ceremony, which is held according to the empire's custom. Not only will the imperial family and nobles living in the capital gather, but also the ambassadors of various countries and representatives of the 18 heads of state will be invited. Naturally, the name of the Japanese ambassador, Yukiji Tokita, was included among them.
It is said that the drama of the change of the throne in the world's largest empire will move the world, whether it is positive or negative. The doctors felt a strange stirring in their hearts as they prepared for the ceremony that would mark the end of an era and the beginning of another tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next day
November 5, 2029
Imperial Palace, Lithianburg
The main gate of the Imperial Palace has been opened. White flowers, known as "sarren" in this country as a sign of "mourning," are laid out on the path that runs through the gardens of the Impeiral Palace. Through the open gate, the imperial family, nobles, and ambassadors of various countries, young and old, dressed in black, entered one after another with offerings of flowers. Among them is the Japanese ambassadors, Yukiji Tokita.
Gloomy faces lined the garden. Commoners, who were not allowed to enter the Imperial Palace, also observed the interior from outside the walls. Tens of thousands of flowers are laid out on the flower offering table, and behind it is a memorial to the nine members of the imperial family who died in the incident.
In this country, when a former emperor abdicates, it is customary for the funeral and/or farewell ceremony to be held on the same day as the coronation of the new emperor. It is said that this custom was established some time ago in order to leave a strong impression of the new emperor as the heir to the throne. While the choir sings a chant in memory of the souls of the dead, the attendees placed bouquets of flowers one after another on the offering table. After the flowers were offered, people sat down on couches lined up in the garden.
After a while, a man stood on the platform in front of the monument. His name is Archbishop Artia Recurrent Larinzier, the archbishop of the Irulan religion, who worked at the Church of Lithinanburg. As he stood on the platform and read from the scriptures, he, like the people in attendance, had a single tear streaming from the corner of each eye. The funeral service ended in the morning, with a break at noon when the sun reached directly overhead. The people gathered once in the place in the Imperial Palace where state guests and visitors are entertained, and spent some time having a tea party there.
In the afternoon, the second part of the event, the coronation ceremony, begins. Once again, the people take their seats in the garden and wait for the coronation. On the platform was Archbishop Artia, holding the Imperial Crown.
Finally, the head of the ceremony appeared. The name of the man wearing silk vestments and waiting for Artia on the platform is Alphon Sikh Anglem. He was originally fourth in line of succession to the throne, but due to the deaths of the first three heirs, he was brought forward to the throne. Alphon went up on the stage to be crowned and got down on one knee in front of Artia, who gave the man kneeling before him the Imperial Crown, which has been handed down in the Crossnellyard family for generations.
"...!"
Crowned, the new emperor, Alphon, rose to his feet. The moment of the accession of the 27th Emperor of the Crossnellyard Empire was seared in the eyes of the people. The coronation ceremony concluded with the words of the newly crowned emperor. Alphon stood up and turned to face the crowd of people in attendance. He looked around at the many gazes directed at him, took a deep breath, and slowly but clearly begins his first speech as emperor to the people through the voice echo shell set up on the platform.
"...Five days ago, His Majesty the Emperor Fasta Ed Anglem III and His Highness Crown Prince Jettis May Anglem collapsed due to an unexplained death."
The words of the new emperor, Alphon I, were about the simultaneous deaths of members of the imperial family that had shocked the entire country five days earlier. The truth of the case, which has yet to be revealed, has been the source of much doubt and dissatisfaction among the people, and the funeral and coronation ceremonies were held amidst these lingering doubts.
"Some of the people suspect that I took their lives in order to usurp the throne, but that is not true."
"...?"
The people were disturbed by the fact that the emperor himself mentioned that he himself was under suspicion. Alphon I continued his speech with gestures.
"...I want you to remember. I would like to remind you of the foreign group that went against the late emperor and his family. Those blood-loving sinners!"
"!!"
Blood-loving sinners... the words caused a stir among the attendees. This term is a derogatory name given to Japanese doctors who perform bloodletting and surgical procedures by the strict Irulan congregation, who fear blood stains. The participants, especially Tokita, who is Japanese, were very upset that the name was mentioned here. While the crowd was distracted, Alphon pulled out a thin booklet from somewhere.
"Here are the results of the autopsy conducted by the court physician Hearoot Follicular. According to the report, the nine people who died strange deaths had been treated by Japanese doctors about a month before, under the guise of examination and blood sampling. They used the dreaded art of drawing blood from the body of a living person!"
"!"
As Alphonse's tone became more forceful, the murmurs of the people grew louder.
"My goodness...!"
"How horrifying!"
"I've heard, too, that the Japanese physicians take blood from their patients and use it in some kind of ritual!"
From here and there, whispered chatter could be heard. The ambassadors of each country were bewildered.
"Tsk...!"
Tokita clicked her tongue at the fact that untruthful gossip was spreading among the upper class. She was reminded of the fact that the further she went into the heart of the country, the more the prejudice against the heathen Japanese medical arts had yet to be dispelled.
'But what if this trend is...!'
A bad feeling about the mention of Japanese doctors here took over Tokita's entire body. Immediately after, the voice of the new emperor, amplified by the voice echo shell, once again echoed through the Imperial Palace. The people listened attentively.
"...In other words, the healers from Japan applied some kind of dubious technique to the emperor's family under the guise of medical treatment and drove them to their deaths. The autopsy results indicate that this is highly probable! Furthermore, the Japanese recently demanded the humiliating diplomacy of having Pope Rovance bow down to them!"
"!"
The truth (or falsehood) of the simultaneous deaths of the imperial family and the meeting of Japanese diplomats was told by Alphon's mouth. People cannot hide their shock and bewilderment at the contents.
"What...!?"
"Cowards! They took advantage of the fact that the late emperor favors them to get their hands on him!"
"Made the Pope bow down to them!? Was that the purpose of the previously reported meeting between Japan and the Papal State!?"
To the attendees, who once again showed great murmurs and indignation, Alphon continued.
"This is my revenge! For the Pope, who was forced to bow down, and above all, for the murdered emperor and his eight members of Imperial Family...! In the name of the 27th Emperor of Crossnellyard, I hereby declare war on Japan! We will eliminate the Japanese from this continent and eventually invade their mainland. Fear not, this is a holy war! We, who are blessed by God, will not be defeated by these godless heathens! Let us remind them of our wrath!"
At the new emperor's words... the people rose in unison to greet that last sentence with cheers and applause.
"...Death to the sinners and the murderers!"
"Our grief, our anger, and our judgment!"
"LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!"
The public's enthusiasm for the war against Japan finally broke out, and chants of praise for the new emperor's decision to start war with Japan erupted from all corners of the city. The funeral and coronation ceremonies were transformed into a new stage of warfare.
"........."
There were those who calmly watched the frenzied crowd. They were the ambassadors of various countries. One of them, Diocleas Marieolus, ambassador of the Shorteria-San Empire, sent a message to his embassy with a faith shell in his hand.
"The war is between the Japanese and the Irulans, perhaps... Inform the world."
Shortly after, he hung up his transmission and left the scene through the frenzied crowd. Following him, ambassadors from various countries left the guests' seats one by one. Among them, there was a woman with a shocked expression on her face, unable to get up from her seat. Holding her head in her hands and drooping her head, she looked at the new emperor standing on the stage and the imperial family and nobles who were cheering him on through the gaps between her fingers.
"What is the meaning of this...!?"
Japanese Ambassador Yukiji Tokita was shocked beyond measure to see the declaration of war against Japan made right before her eyes. The voices of enthusiastic imperial family and aristocrats echoed outside the Imperial Palace. The commoners, who were not allowed to participate in the ceremony, sensed that something strange was going on behind the walls.
November 5, 2029. On this day, the second war in Terralus was unfolded against Japan. The war against the world's largest empire was to take place over a wide area of the world and involve many countries. What lies ahead, however, remains a mystery to those who are still in a feverish state of mind. Soon after, the start of the war between Japan and the Crossnellyard Empire was reported to the world. The nations of the world are shocked by this major event that will shake the world, and they are closely watching the course of events.